Conservative *
renegades of the jnnglo , the wolves ,
the liyonns and the jackals. "
On boiug asked what was the purpose
of the Ingot-Barons and the unctuous
green frog Brian-go-bray , and why they
wore so anxious to unite with the pops ,
and the renegades of the jungle , Solon ,
the Solomon mouse , answered : "It has
been known to the Ingot-Barons for a
long time that the prosperity of the
industrious and self-supporting inhabi
tants of the jungle , the Behemoth , or
middle classes , the lions or generals of
industry , and the tigers or clans of labor ,
have long been in the possession of a
peculiarly tenacious and indestructible
bug , which has become noted for its
great reliability in all industrial emer
gencies for centuries During all the
vicissitudes of the inhabitants of the
jungles , during the ages of civilization ,
those bugs have never changed in their
trustworthy characteristics. These valu
able creatures have been termed the
"gold bugs" on account of their pecul
iarly brilliant and attractive color.
"Knowing , as you do , the inestimable
value of those bugs of gold , you should
not bo surprised that the same is also
well known to the Ingot-Barons , the
wolves , the hyenas and jackals , as well
as the polecats. But there is a charac
teristic of thcso bugs of gold which ,
though almost unknown to you , is well
known to the Ingot-Barons. The gold
bugs are the only creatures in the
jungle which can carry the silver maggots
gets and without which the silver maggots
gets cannot long maintain themselves.
The silver maggots are parasites to the
gold bugs. Such is the tenacious invul
nerability of the gold bugs , however ,
that these parasites cannot injure
them.
"It should now be apparent to this
distinguished convention of the self-
supporting ability of the jungle , why
the Ingot-Barons , the sole proprietors
and breeders of the silver maggots , have
sent the unctuous green frog Briau-go-
bray to the convention of the discon
tented pops and the wolves , the hyenas
and the jackals. It is because of your
possession of the invaluable gold bugs.
It is for this alone that they designate
you as monopolists. The art of breed
ing and maintaining possession of the
.bugs of gold being duo to your especial
ability , has created great jealousy among
the Ingot-Barons , for without them
their silver maggots are of little or no
value , as they can scarcely live of them
selves , though the Ingot-Barons have
lately discovered a way of breeding
them in countless numbers. As the
pops have but little or no ability to breeder
or maintain possession of the gold bugs
and the art is entirely unknown to the
wolves , the hyenas and the jackals ; and
as the Ingot-Barons , on account of their
small number , are entirely unable to
capture the gold bugs from you , or im
pose their silver maggots upon you , they
have incited these malcontents agains
you and sent the unctuous green frog
3riau-go-bray to stimulate this rebellion
of the unfits in the jungles of civiliza
tion.
"There is , as you probably know , if
not it is known to the Solomon mice ,
such a thing as a law of iucompatibles.
tfow , though the bugs of gold can carry
the silver maggots without it in any
way injuring them ( the gold bugs ) ,
they have no more affinity or use for
them than you , most illustrious ex
amples of the survival of the fittest ,
mvo for those unfits , the pops , the
wolves , the hyenas , the jackals , the pole
cats and the sloths.
"These attempts of the Ingot-Barons
; o fasten the silver maggots to the bugs
of gold have been made many times ,
ihough at no time with such despera-
; ion as at present , on account of the
overwhelming to themselves number
of these maggots which the Ingot-Barons
mve lately succeeded in breeding by
some peculiar incubator known only to
ihemsolves. It has oome to the ears of
; he Solomon mice that this last attempt
is sure to fail. We have been notified
by our special detectives the Solomon
mice can go undetected anywhere that
; ho Ingot-Barons have already begun to
.ose courngo on account of dissensions
between the wolves , the hyenas , the
jackals and the pops ; in fact it is said
that the latter are already becoming
so dissatisfied at the small per ceutage of
silver maggots , and especially their use-
lessuess , alloted to them , that they are
threatening to pop back into the army
of gold bugs ; a procedure the Solomon
mice most urgently warn you not to
permit of. Wo have also heard that the
malcontents have become very uneasy
of the unctuous eloquence of the orator
ical green frog Briau-go-bray.
The Ke treat of the
"Perhaps you may have noticed that
there has recently been a great increase
in the bugs of gold among you. As this
has come to the knowledge of the Ingot-
Barons they have become much dis
couraged , for they hoped to fasten the
silver maggots in such numbers on the
gold bugs as to completely weigh them
down , and thus force you to toke their
silver maggots in their place. This
great multiplication of the gold bugs ,
now likely to go on for an indefinite
number of years , hns been the work ol
a peculiar order of the Solomon mice ,
known as the prospectors , who have in
their employ a most energetic army of
ants , called the miners , who know the
peculiar native haunts of the bugs of
gold and how to introduce and accli
mate them to the jungles of civilization
So successful has been the work of the
Solomon mice in counteracting the
plans of the Ingot-Barons , that I am
able to inform you that these unworthy
knights have already become so dis
heartened as to order the march of the
silver maggots from the valleys of the
mountains called Rocky to bo stopped ,
and have already ordered that those that
lad gained access to the plains of civil-
zation should be carried back , though
a very large number have been dis-
iributed among the pops , the wolves ,
ho jackals and hyenas. These will
oou die , as these malcontents are
otally unfit to take care even of such
discontented creatures as the silver mag
gots. Having thus ended my mission ,
most illustrious Behemoth , active lions
and industrious tigers , I will now retire
10 the grotto of Delphi , on the mount
called Parnassus , and report to Apollo ,
.ho . chief of Solomon mice , the satisfac-
ory results of this meeting. " As he
mde the convention adieu , Solon , the
Solomon mouse , said : "My honored
'rieuds , the bugs of gold have one
peculiarity , you have not paid sufficient
attention to in the past ; they are very
sensitive , they love not dissensions in
the ranks of those fit only to take care
of them. So long as you , the Behemoth
of the middle classes , and you , the lions
of industry , and you , the tigers and
workers of the world , appreciate you are
udispeusible to one another's comfort
and safety , so long will the bugs of gold
abide with you. But , if discussions and
wars spring up among you , or bitter
jealousies turn your hearts against each
other , then will the bugs of gold depart
from you , and you will lie in greater
distress than you wore from this threat
ened invasion of the Ingot-Barons with
their silver maggots. " Having said
these words , Solon , the Solomon mouse ,
departed to the grotto of Delphi to make
his report to his chief , Apollo.
FRANK S. BILLINGS.
Graftou , Mass.
The infant industry
EXPANDED
DOLLARS. try of counter
feiting silver dollars
lars is stimulated to a frenzy of activity
by the low price of bar silver quoted
at 60 an ounce , Monday , August 7th ,
in New York City , and Mexican dollars ,
containing eight more grains than those
of the United States , selling at forty-
eight cents apiece.
The expert counterfeiter may put pre
cisely the same amount of standard sil
ver into his secretly and unlawfully
made dollar coin that is put in by the
government of the United States.
The new counterfeit silver dollars may
contain precisely 371 25-100 grains of
pure silver and precisely the alloy that
the government adds to that amount of
the white metal and still leave its maker
a profit of more than sixty cents. In
fact , with silver at sixty and a quarter
cents an ounce , the bogus money-maker
can afford to put the whole ounce in his
dollar and then have a rake-off of sixty-
nine cents ; silver dollars of the United
States ore on the basis of one dollar and
twenty-nine cents an ounce. Why not
expand silver dollars until they contain
a dollar's worth of silver bullion ?